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February 6, 2011

Students who bring laptops to Vassar's most popular class, Intro to Art History, are under fire in a letter to the editor in yesterday's New York Times. In response to an article on the causes of stress for college freshmen, Louise Dufresne '13 writes that she thinks social media is to blame. She writes:

"Pay a visit to any college campus and I guarantee that you will find students wrapped up in their digital social lives. For too many students, the Internet is a blank canvas with which to paint a new, more exciting identity. But our infatuation with social media increases both social pressure and distractions, creating all-too-tempting alternatives to learning.

It’s not fair that my art history lecturer must compete with Facebook for attention. Northern Renaissance art will always lose to the seductive temptation of social media when computers are allowed in class."

Click here to check out the full letter. You can also check out Louise's YouTube channel, The Daily Louise, to hear her opinion on more topics.